The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed two cases against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's assignment officer Firoj Mahmud Iqbal on charges of obtaining illegal wealth and causing financial loss to the national exchequer by abusing power.

Iqbal's wife Imtiaz Begum was also made accused in the case of acquiring illegal wealth.

ACC deputy director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed a case against Firoj and his wife with Ramna police station for amassing moveable and immovable property worth over Tk 1.47 crore beyond their known sources of income.

Firoj possesses assets worth about Tk 89.67 lakh while the rest worth about Tk 58 lakh are in his wife's name. The ACC officer filed another case against Firoj with Tejgaon police station for causing a loss of about Tk 35 lakh to the national exchequer through abuse of his post and power.

According to the FIR, during 2001 and 2006 Firoj as the assignment officer of the Prime Minister used two vehicles of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and three of Essentials Drugs Company Limited for personal use.

Due to the personal use of these five vehicles, the government incurred a loss of Tk 15,03,637 for fuel and Tk 19,87,131 for other expenses, the FIR said.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the Commission yesterday approved the filing of cases against former State Minister for Power Prof Rafiqul Islam, Uttara Group chairman Giridhari Lal Modi and Bogra BNP leader Shahidul Islam Bablu for acquiring wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The Commission also approved issuing notices to three corrupt suspects - Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, former BNP state minister Maj (Retd) Kamrul Islam and AL leader AKM Rahmatullah - directing them to submit their wealth statements.